Email to the CEO -- problem solved

[dani negreanu]

For the last 2 months, I've spent endless hours on the phone (long distance from Israel, no toll free from here), trying to get off the "waiting list" for MTD the other couple traveling with us, to no avail. The cruise is not full.

My travel agent tried speaking with "Dining", and when this failed, this forum advised to enlist the help of C & A -- "they will fix it". Indeed, I called them and they said "no problem, just ask your TA to call us, we need their approval, and we'll remove XXX from the "waiting list"..." Called the agent, the agent called C&A, they put me on hold -- "Dining" refuses. They said "call in a few days, we'll review our dining arrangements, MTD is fully booked (????), etc., etc.". C&A are really trying to help, to no avail. TA tries - "Dining" isn't relenting.

I understood from this forum that writing to "Dining" isn't always helpful, so, after 2 months, I decided last week to write to the CEO -- really....

I've just received a positive answer from "Dining" and, finally, we'll be dining together with my family.

The email also said that "should I need further assistance, don't hesitate to let us know".

A very happy "camper" here.

[DarthGrady]

Glad it finally worked out for you, although it really should not take more than a single phone call to fix something that simple.

 

Anecdotally, I was in a similar situation and can sympathize. I had a fairly trivial issue with Crown and Anchor once that ended up requiring an email to Goldstein's office to fix.

 

It's a problem across the board nowadays. Customer service with almost every company is down right abysmal. They forget that without us, the consumers, they would not exist. I'll get down off my Nader-esque soapbox now.

[Hotel CA]

For the last 2 months, I've spent endless hours on the phone (long distance from Israel, no toll free from here),

 

 

Perhaps a friend in the US should send you Vonage :)

[bluegirlum]

Glad you got it fixed. Even though there is often debate on here about who's really reading the CEO's email, all I care about is that the issue gets fixed when I email them about something. I just appreciate the response. Good to hear you got one in this case too.

[phish tales]

For the last 2 months, I've spent endless hours on the phone (long distance from Israel, no toll free from here), trying to get off the "waiting list" for MTD the other couple traveling with us, to no avail. The cruise is not full.

My travel agent tried speaking with "Dining", and when this failed, this forum advised to enlist the help of C & A -- "they will fix it". Indeed, I called them and they said "no problem, just ask your TA to call us, we need their approval, and we'll remove XXX from the "waiting list"..." Called the agent, the agent called C&A, they put me on hold -- "Dining" refuses. They said "call in a few days, we'll review our dining arrangements, MTD is fully booked (????), etc., etc.". C&A are really trying to help, to no avail. TA tries - "Dining" isn't relenting.

I understood from this forum that writing to "Dining" isn't always helpful, so, after 2 months, I decided last week to write to the CEO -- really....

I've just received a positive answer from "Dining" and, finally, we'll be dining together with my family.

The email also said that "should I need further assistance, don't hesitate to let us know".

A very happy "camper" here.

 

 

We used to e-mail Adam Goldstein and now he moved up. would you share the e-mail address of the CEO you contacted? it would be appreciated. thanks in advance.

[TBone2K]

Glad to hear it got fixed. I have found emails to RC generally were returned until after my cruise.

 

So, knowing how long it takes them to respond, I must ask: Did the email you got back indicate in any way that it was the result of your email to the CEO? May have just been a co-incidence. Most companies send the CEO's public email to the same place as all the other outside emails.

[irishgal432]

Similar problem.

 

I have 2 rooms booked for my family and 2 more rooms for friends. We booked for Oasis September 2015 in May of 2014. WE were confirmed early. All of our paper work said early. Then all of a sudden we were all MTD due to implementation of Dynamic Dining. Then Dynamic dining was no more and only one of the Grand Suite was changed back.

 

TA called and their response was we will put them on a waitlist and we could change it on board. Seriously, there would be a chance I would we not eating with my husband and other child. Also not eating with my other group in the two rooms.

 

I then told my TA go ahead and cancel all four rooms and we would plan a different vacation where we could all eat together.

 

Lo and behold the TA called back and got us all confirmed for our original dining times.

Edited April 28, 2015 by irishgal432

[cruiselife4me]

Remember as well to write the CEO when you have an over the top fantastic cruise...and name the staff that made it that way. I did that and received a call from Richard Fain's assistant and we talked for an hour. They were delighted to receive a thank you letter.

[bluegirlum]

Remember as well to write the CEO when you have an over the top fantastic cruise...and name the staff that made it that way. I did that and received a call from Richard Fain's assistant and we talked for an hour. They were delighted to receive a thank you letter.

 

Good point! I have had this happen as well. Apparently the staff get recognized on board and get days off, etc. as a reward.

Edited April 28, 2015 by bluegirlum

[joand452]

I wrote to Mr. Goldstein sometime after our disappointing cruise on Quantum -- it was supposed to be the "inaugural," so we booked looking forward to festivities galore. Instead, we got the most sedate cruise ever. Before I started complaining, I wrote about all the wonderful/beautiful things there are on the ship, and mentioned by name the crew members who gave us great service. I received a phone call from his office not too long after and a nice thank-you to be applied to another cruise (in case anyone is wondering, it was less than 10% of the amount paid for the Quantum cruise. Not much, but something!).

 

Anyway, I hope the staff I lauded in my e-mail got some sort of recognition.

[dani negreanu]

We used to e-mail Adam Goldstein and now he moved up. would you share the e-mail address of the CEO you contacted? it would be appreciated. thanks in advance.

 

I've got the e-mail from this forum: mbayley@rccl.com

 

Remember as well to write the CEO when you have an over the top fantastic cruise...and name the staff that made it that way. I did that and received a call from Richard Fain's assistant and we talked for an hour. They were delighted to receive a thank you letter.

 

I already thanked Mr. Bayley and forward him the letter I've received from "Dining".

 

So, knowing how long it takes them to respond, I must ask: Did the email you got back indicate in any way that it was the result of your email to the CEO? .

 

Definitely a "direct result". Like I said, it took them a week and I was beginning to worry, since sometimes you receive an automatic reply or something along the lines "We received your email and will forward it to the appropriate authorities" - didn't receive any acknowledgment ... I gave "Mr. Bayley" the dates and hours of our MTD and they matched them exactly.

[LSSaqua]

It is unacceptable that you have had to waste so many calls without any luck. It is also downright embarrassing that you thought this was a relevant issue that needed the attention of the CEO of a publicly traded, multi billion dollar, international company.

 

People need a serious reality check. This could easily have been resolved onboard. I wholeheartedly hope that people who contact the CEO for issues like this are ashamed and embarrassed for themselves.

[jegoodman]

It is unacceptable that you have had to waste so many calls without any luck. It is also downright embarrassing that you thought this was a relevant issue that needed the attention of the CEO of a publicly traded, multi billion dollar, international company.

 

People need a serious reality check. This could easily have been resolved onboard. I wholeheartedly hope that people who contact the CEO for issues like this are ashamed and embarrassed for themselves.

 

Wow! The OP tried every remedial option at much time, expense, and to no avail. The OP took it up to the chain and was "passed along". There's no excuse for horrible customer service. I've cruised RCL for many years and each year the service both shoreside and on the ship gets worse. The CEO needs to be notified that he has issues. No, he doesn't personally read the emails but has a staff to look into issues.

 

I travel as a single and a few years ago RCL wanted to charge me 250% to book as a single. I am prepared to pay 200% (charge for two people). C&A took it up the chain to no avail. I wrote Goldstein's office and after a 2 minute call everything was fixed. It's called fairness and RCL is known for its inconsistent policies.

 

By the way, issues don't always get solved aboard the ship. The Purser's desk it teeming with some great help and some horrible help as is the dining room. The OP was told by RCL it was no problem yet when getting back to the TA RCL said it was a problem. That's BAD!

Edited April 28, 2015 by jegoodman
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[Ocean Boy]

Glad it finally worked out for you, although it really should not take more than a single phone call to fix something that simple.

Anecdotally, I was in a similar situation and can sympathize. I had a fairly trivial issue with Crown and Anchor once that ended up requiring an email to Goldstein's office to fix.

 

It's a problem across the board nowadays. Customer service with almost every company is down right abysmal. They forget that without us, the consumers, they would not exist. I'll get down off my Nader-esque soapbox now.

 

And the CEO of the company should have then asked himself what is wrong with our customer service that such a simple matter had to be escalated all the way to my office to make things right?

[critterchick]

It is unacceptable that you have had to waste so many calls without any luck. It is also downright embarrassing that you thought this was a relevant issue that needed the attention of the CEO of a publicly traded, multi billion dollar, international company.

 

People need a serious reality check. This could easily have been resolved onboard. I wholeheartedly hope that people who contact the CEO for issues like this are ashamed and embarrassed for themselves.

 

Don't you think the CEO (or at least his executive staff) should be aware of the issue that OP went through so it can at least go on the list of customer service issues that should be fixed?

 

And I don't consider it "easy" to waste an hour or more of my (increasingly expensive) vacation time to get issues resolved onboard, nor is it necessarily easy to do so - by the time OP boards and gets down to the dining room, MTD could really be full and she and her travelling companions would be SOL.

 

Now, OP is in a full suite, and the Concierge would more likely than not have been able to fix the problem, but even that isn't guaranteed. I for one think that it's RCI who should be embarrassed and ashamed that they can't do this one simple thing correctly.

[Ocean Boy]

It is unacceptable that you have had to waste so many calls without any luck. It is also downright embarrassing that you thought this was a relevant issue that needed the attention of the CEO of a publicly traded, multi billion dollar, international company.

 

People need a serious reality check. This could easily have been resolved onboard. I wholeheartedly hope that people who contact the CEO for issues like this are ashamed and embarrassed for themselves.

 

Or the other way to look at it is it is downright embarrassing that that customer service of a publicly traded, multi billion dollar, internation company that is in the business of selling and providing vacations could not help out the customer. There should have been no need to wait until aboard the ship to have everything in order.

 

Part of the fun of vacation for some people is having everything done then sitting back and enjoying the anticipation.

[jm485]

It is unacceptable that you have had to waste so many calls without any luck. It is also downright embarrassing that you thought this was a relevant issue that needed the attention of the CEO of a publicly traded, multi billion dollar, international company.

 

People need a serious reality check. This could easily have been resolved onboard. I wholeheartedly hope that people who contact the CEO for issues like this are ashamed and embarrassed for themselves.

 

IMO, Mr. Bayley should be ashamed and embarrassed that customer service in his organization is so poor that the only way to resolve an issue like this was to contact his office.

[Slopoke15]

And the CEO of the company should have then asked himself what is wrong with our customer service that such a simple matter had to be escalated all the way to my office to make things right?

 

100% correct

[scootersdad]

For the last 2 months, I've spent endless hours on the phone (long distance from Israel, no toll free from here), trying to get off the "waiting list" for MTD the other couple traveling with us, to no avail. The cruise is not full.

My travel agent tried speaking with "Dining", and when this failed, this forum advised to enlist the help of C & A -- "they will fix it". Indeed, I called them and they said "no problem, just ask your TA to call us, we need their approval, and we'll remove XXX from the "waiting list"..." Called the agent, the agent called C&A, they put me on hold -- "Dining" refuses. They said "call in a few days, we'll review our dining arrangements, MTD is fully booked (????), etc., etc.". C&A are really trying to help, to no avail. TA tries - "Dining" isn't relenting.

I understood from this forum that writing to "Dining" isn't always helpful, so, after 2 months, I decided last week to write to the CEO -- really....

I've just received a positive answer from "Dining" and, finally, we'll be dining together with my family.

The email also said that "should I need further assistance, don't hesitate to let us know".

A very happy "camper" here.

 

I also booked early and was wait listed and there were also many open cabins.

I think they are pushing MTD. If I want a different waiter etc then I can go to a local restaurant. I want my regular waiter and assistant so we can form a bond and tip them well (or not if the service is poor). That happened only once.

[dani negreanu]

Now, OP is in a full suite,

 

I wish -- I'm in D7 and very happy to afford it :D

 

Part of the fun of vacation for some people is having everything done then sitting back and enjoying the anticipation.

 

I couldn't agree more. I've been told "don't worry [that's exactly the very moment I start to worry], when u board, go to the maitre d', he will fix it..." After all, it is My Time Dining, not early/late seating!!!

[DarthGrady]

And the CEO of the company should have then asked himself what is wrong with our customer service that such a simple matter had to be escalated all the way to my office to make things right?

One would think so.

[Ocean Boy]

I also booked early and was wait listed and there were also many open cabins.

I think they are pushing MTD. If I want a different waiter etc then I can go to a local restaurant. I want my regular waiter and assistant so we can form a bond and tip them well (or not if the service is poor). That happened only once.

 

I think you are right and I think they are doing it for two reasons. First of all it is probably easier to schedule a dining room when they don't have to worry about a percentage of tables being reserved for fixed time dining and then having empty seats because people decide to eat in specialty dining. And the second is I'm sure they like getting the gratuities a head of time and doing whatever it is that they do with them until they are destributed in whatever way it is that RCI sees fit.

[bluegirlum]

It is unacceptable that you have had to waste so many calls without any luck. It is also downright embarrassing that you thought this was a relevant issue that needed the attention of the CEO of a publicly traded, multi billion dollar, international company.

 

People need a serious reality check. This could easily have been resolved onboard. I wholeheartedly hope that people who contact the CEO for issues like this are ashamed and embarrassed for themselves.

 

You've obviously been lucky enough to have perfect service everywhere you've ever been. There are several companies that I have dealt with where the only way I received a response is by contacting the CEO's office. Good on you for always getting what you need right away. Please share your secrets with us so we can stop embarrassing ourselves.